Confection making apparatus



June 27 1939' l-le E. BIANCHI CONFECTION MAKING APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 6, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 9o m NVN w.

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June 27, 1939.

' H, E. BIANCHI CONFECTION MAKING APPARATUS 5 Sheets--Sheerl 2 Original Filed Nov. 6, 1936 H. E. BIANCHI coNFEcTIoN MAKING APPARATUS .lune 27, 1939.

Original Filed Nov. 6, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 :ggjjDm/n C am* @Hog Patented June 27, 1939 PATENT OFFICE CONFECTION MAKING APPARATUS Henry E. Bianchi, Rutherford, N. J., assignor to G. Cella, Inc., a corporation of New York Original application November 6, 1936, Serial N0.

Divided and this application April 24,

1937, Serial No. 138,680

Claims.

This invention relates to confections and the manufacture thereof. More particularly the invention is directed to apparatus for enclosing in chocolate shells liquids or preserve fruits in juices or syrups.

Among the objects of the invention is generally to improve apparatus of the character described comprising of few and simple parts, which apparatus is easy and convenient to manipulate,

O which shall be readily adapted for quantity production, and which shall be practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of the invention will be obvious and in part hereafter pointed out. The inven- 15 tion accordingly consists of features of production, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and which the scope of the application will be indicated by the following claims.

This application is a division of my application for the manufacture of confections, Serial No. 109,406, filed November 6, 1936.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of the invention.

Figs. l to 9, inclusive, are plan views showing the progressive steps in practising the improved method embodying the invention for making chocolates filled with syrup or juice and cherries in quantity production.

Figs. la to 9a, inclusive, are enlarged cross-sectional views taken on lines Ict-Ia, 2a-2a, Suf-3a, fla-4a, 5oz-5a, (ia-6a, fla-la, 8af--8a and Sa-Sa in Figs. 1 to 9, inclusive, respectively.

Fig. 10 is a front elevational view of a finished confection chocolate produced by the improved method embodying the invention, partly broken away to expose the interior.

Fig. 11 is a perspective View of the chocolate confection tipped to show the bottom side thereof.

Figs. 12 and 13 are front elevational and plan views, respectively, of an apparatus arranged to practise the invention in quantity production.

Figs. 14 to 17, inclusive, are enlarged crosssectional views taken on lines |4-|4, |5| 5, IS-IB and |`||l, respectively, in Fig. 13.

Fig. 18 is a front elevational view of a fragmentary portion of the improved apparatus showing 50 means for advancing the molds on the conveyor during the step of spreading the bottom chocolate layers.

Figs. 19 and 20 are enlarged cross-sectional views taken on lines |9|9 and 20-20, respec- 55 tively,in Fig. 18, and

Figs. 21 and 22 are perspective views of the interposing sheet and plate for carrying and applying the bottom chocolate layers.

Referring in detail to the drawings there is here provided for practising the invention, a plurality of multi-cavity molds 30 preferably made of metal of a form for example, as shown in Figs.

1 and la, each mold being either cast, machined. or stamped with thirty-six cells or cavities 30a.

For use in conjunction with each of said molds 10 30 there is provided a rigid plate 3| which may be slightly larger than the top side 30h of the mold 30. Said plate 3l may be releasably mounted in registered align with the mold by any suitable means, such as spaced dowl pins 32 upstanding from opposite sides of each plate 3| to provide two independent sets of such means, as shown in Fig. 22. Said pins 32 projecting from one side of the l plate 3| slidably fit into spaced holes 30e whichy extend in from the top side 30h of each mold 30, as shown in Fig. 1. Said plate 3| may be selectively reversed with respect to the mold 30 so that either side of the plate 3| faces the mold 30 with a set of spaced pins 32 entered into the holes 30a as shown in Figs. 5, 5a or 20 and as reversed in Figs. 7, '7a.

There is also here provided a relatively thin interposing sheet 33 similar in shape and size as the plate 3|. Said sheet 33 may be surfaced of a nished material on which chocolate when deposited thereon is on solidication readily removed without adhering. Spaced openings 33a are provided in said sheet 33 to t one of the set of pins 32 when said sheet 33 is mounted in position on plate 3|, as shown in Figs. 5a, 6a, 19, 20, 21 and 22.

If desired, the plate 3| may be provided with corner feet 32a projecting up from one side thereof for spacing the `plate when mounted on the mold in the position shown in Figs. 5a and 6a. 40

In practising the invention for quantity production the apparatus shown in Figs. 12 to 20, inclusive, may beused. Said apparatus may nclude a horizontally disposed conveyor 40 having spaced stationary side bars or rails 40a, and spaced sprocket chains 4Gb movably mounted between said rails 40a. Said chains 40h may be intermittently driven through motor or other suitable power means (not shown) in the well understood manner. Said conveyor 40 may have mounted thereon in spaced relation and cooperatively driven therewith, a fruit feeder 4| for supplying cherries or like pieces of fruit, a syrup or juice sup-plier 42 and a chocolate depositor 43, an ovenrheater 44 being provided between the juice supplier 42 and chocolate depositor 43, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13.

The fruit feeder lil may be of any conventional make and as here shown feeds cherries C from a supply hopper i Ici by means of a rotary drum 4 lb which has cavities Hc in the peripherial surface thereof, said cavities Mb each with a cherry C therein being spaced and brought in register with a chocolate shell S in the consecutive rows of the mold cavities 30a When the molds 30 are brought under the feeder li as shown in Fig. 14.

The syrup or juice supplier d2 may be of any well understood construction and as here shown supplies measured quantities of syrup or juice from a reservoir 42a through a valve block 32h having spouts 42C, the latter being spaced to align with the shells S in the mold cavities 3M when the molds 30 are brought under said juice supplier 42, as shown in Fig. 15.

The chocolate depositor 43 may also be of any well known construction to the extent, as here shown, that drops or buds D of chocolate are deposited from a mixer-container 43a through a valve block 43h onto the plate supported sheet 33, said block Q32) having nozzles lic spaced to correspond with the spacing of the shells S in the mold cavities 33a under the plate 3l when the molds 36 are disposed beneath said chocolate depositor A3, as shown in Figs. 18 and 19.

In practising the invention the drops or buds D are made of sucient chocolate in quantity to provide the formation of bottoms of the finished product, said formation being accomplished through a forced spreading by the use of a shaker or vibrating means denoted generally at It, and shown in Fig. 18, and actuated in coopertion with the chain conveyor fili, the operation of which will hereinafter be more fully described.

The oven heater 414 may be of any standard type and as here shown includes a gas burner 44a enclosed in a casing i613 which extends over a portion of the conveyor 50 so that the molds 3i), after being filled but before the chocolate bottoms are applied to the product have their top side 3th subjected to a heat as is clear from Figs. 12 and 16.

The above described apparatus is operated to carry out the method embodying the invention as follows:

After the cells or cavities ila. of the molds 3B are coated with cup shaped chocolate layers, each of which forms a shell S to provide the sides and top of the confection product P by any well under.. stood process in which each of said cavities Sila of the empty molds 3Q, shown in Figs. 1, and 1a receives a coating of chocolate to form the shell S as shown in Figs. 2 and 2a, said cavity-chocolate coated molds 3@ are placed between the rails 49d of the conveyor it at the end thereof marked A, (see Figs. 12 and 13) one at a time. The conveyor chains 46h, moving intermittently in the direction indicated by the arrow shown in Fig. 12, slidably carries the mold 30 under the fruit feeder M. Upright pushers llc (see Fig. 18) spaced along the links of the chains 40h engage successive molds 3i! carrying the latter along in the movement thereof. The drive of the chains ib and pushers ttc being intermittent, there is a dwell or rest in the progressive movement arranged to occur when the mold 3i! reaches a position under the fruit feeder il. At that time cherries C drop out of the drum Mb from the supply hopper 41a into the shells S retained in the mold cavities Sd, as shown in Figs. 3a and 14.

The conveyor 40 then continues to advance and when the mold 30 with shells S and cherries C reach a position under the syrup supplier i2 there occurs another dwell or rest and a measured quantity of syrup J from the reservoir liZa is allowed to pass through the valve block 42h and be distributed by spouts 52e to all the shells S concurrently, in the manner shown in Figs. 4a and l5. The quantity of syrup supplied to each shell S is approximately three quarters the contents thereof so that after sealing said shells S the nished product P will be short of being cornpletely filled. See Fig. 10.

The conveyor di? as it continues to advance the mold 39 with the shells S each filled with a cherry C and syrup J passes through the oven heater 44. The mold Si) and contents are heated to precondition the upper portions of the shells S for the step of sealing same, the heat absorbed by said mold and contents being sufficient to retain such conditioning until 'the application of the closure bottoms G. This latter operation will be further described hereinafter.

The construction, arrangement and relative locations of the devices comprising the fruit feeder itl, juice supplier 12, chocolate depositor i3 and the oven heater i4 are such that the dwells occur in the line of successive molds with a mold located in alignment with each of said devices. Thus the operations of the fruit feeding, syrup supplying, chocolate depositing and heating occur simultaneously. The application of heat for preconditioning the product in the molds takes place before the deposting of the chocolate and prior to mounting the plate 3l on the mold.

As each mold and preconditioned shells S leave the heater 44, and before they reach the chololate depositor i3 at the position indicated at B, in Figs. 12 and 13, a plate 3| carrying sheetmaterial 33 facing up is mounted on each mold Sii over the contents, the downwardly extending set of dowel pins 32 being entered into the holes 30C of the mold 36 for positively aligning said plate 3| and sheet material 33 with respect to the mold contents. The conveyor lil as it continues to ad- Vance7 and when the heated and filled mold 3!) with the plate 3| and sheet material 33 mounted thereon, reaches a position directly under chocolate depositor '13, there occurs another dwell or rest. A measured quantity of fluid chocolate from the mixer-container 13a is then allowed to fiow through the valve block 43h and be simultaneously deposited by the nozzles 43e as drops or buds D on the sheet material 33. One bud D is provided for each shell S in exact alignment over the filled shells of the mold 3i), as shown in Figs. 5, a, 18 and 19. The buds D are conical when deposited and are in a plastic state, each bud D having a circular shape outline on the sheet material 33 of a size that is insufficient to form a complete sealing closure for the shell to serve as the bottom of the product P.

The invention contemplates in the practise thereof to speedily and positively change said buds D, during the continuous process, to circular shaped wafer-thin bottoms G of sufficient size to provide a complete sealing closure for the shell.

To this end a forced spreading operation of the buds D while in plastic state is provided. As here shown this is accomplished through vibration. Referring now to Figs, 18 and 19 the portion of the frame of the conveyor it beyond the depositor d3, indicated at V, carrier below the rails a shaft 65a journalled at 45h in the conveyor frame.

Said shaft 45a which may be continuously driven by any suitable means (not shown) in the well understood manner, has spaced ratchet wheels 45e mounted to turn therewith. Each wheel 45e is provided with teeth 45d over which a projecting tooth 46a on an end 46h of a bar lever 46 rides. The other end 46c of said lever 46 is pivoted to said conveyor frame 4|) by bolts 46e so that on rotation of the wheel teeth 45h, the lever tooth 46a riding thereon, causes said lever end 46D to vibrate. This vibration is transmitted through height adjusting screws 45e upstanding on the lever end 46h to head bars 45d which engage the plate 3| for lifting the same off the lled mold and supporting same as it passes along the conveyor 40 at V without interfering with the advanced movements thereof as shown in Figs. 18 and 20. This vibration is exerted on the plate alone for a length of time suiiicient to provide a forced spreading of the buds D from the conical shape and size shown on Figs. 5, 5a and 19 to the wafer-thin form bottom G shown in Figs. 6, 6a and 20. The latter formed bottoms G are then spread out on the sheet material 33 to contact those adjacent, and are each of sufficient size to provide a completely sealing closure of a shell S.

When each of said lled molds and plates carrying the forced spread bottoms G passes o the vibrator V it reaches the end E of the conveyor All opposite end A. See Figs. 12 and 13. Here an operator may be stationed who dismounts the plate 3| with the spread bottoms G from the lled molds and reverses the same by turning said bottoms G to face the top side of said filled molds. At the same time the downwardly extending pins 32 are entered into the mold holes 3BG for positively aligning the plate with said bottomsG with the filled shellsl S in the mold to assure positioning of said bottoms G for application as complete sealing closures.

As said filled mold continues to advance it is slidingly moved off the conveyor end E onto a table top T which is located on the same level with the conveyor 40. 'I'he operator here may exert a downward pressure on the plate 3| before entirely removing the plate 3| thus leaving the sheet material 33 as a support for the bottoms G as shown in Figs. '7 and 7a.

There may be provided a second chain conveyor 50 similar in construction to conveyor 49 for continuing Athe improved method, s'aid con.- veyor 50 may be continuously driven in the direction indicated by arrows in Fig. l2 by suitable power (not shown) in the well understood manner. Said conveyor 50 has its. loading end F adjacent the conveyor end E and the table T as shown in Figs, 12 and 13.

To complete the application of bottoms G for sealing the closures to the filled shells S, the operator loads said lled mold with the bottoms G and ilexible material 3| applied thereto on the end F of the conveyor 50 which on advancing, passes under a pressure roller 5| as shown in Fig. 17. Here the flexible sheet 33 is flexed to permit successive portions of the bottoms G,

to be pressed into position for making a positively sealed closure for said filled shells S, as shown partially completed in Fig. 17 and finished in Figs. 8 and 8a. The operation above described takes place while the contents of mold 30 is still in the preconditioned state and bottoms G sufficiently plastic so as to fuse with the shells S.

It is tobe understood that the operator unloads each filled mold from the conveyor 40, lifts the plate 3| with the bottoms G from the filled mold, reverses said plate 3|, applies the bottoms G in aligned position on the filled shells S carried in said mold 30, removes the plate 3|, and nally loads the conveyor 50 to pass the filled mold under the pressure roller 5| all, in the manner described above, as successive movements of a continuous operation so that there is no break in the process.

f The conveyor 50 is made long enough to allow time for the chocolate bottoms G and sealed closure joint to set, that is, to become substantially solid.

When each filled mold with the sealed shells S reaches the end H of the conveyor 50 opposite end F another operator slides the mold on a table top U which is positioned at the same level as the conveyor 50, removes the flexible sheet material 33 for inspecting the sealed closures. If for any reason any small imperfections are found the operator removes such imperfections. He then transfers the uncovered mold to the loading end L of a conveniently located transfer belt conveyor 52 which may be situated over conveyor 5D, but run continuously in the opposite direction thereto as shown in Fig. 12. Any suitable power drive (not shown) may be provided for the conveyor 52, or conveyors 50 and 52 may be driven from the same power. On conveyor 52 the uncovered mold is given further time to cool so that the chocolate of the product .P has a chance to become relatively hard. At the other end K oi said conveyor 52 another operator unloads the molds and empties the completely finished product P, which is then ready for packing and shipping.

It has been found desirable to partition off various devices making up the apparatus hereinabove described so as to segregate those which operate best at a higher room temperature from those Working best in relatively lower temperature surroundings. In Figs. 12 and 13, a wall W is shown to indicate that the devices to the left thereof are best operated at a higher room temperature in order to retain the preconditioning of the chocolate shells S and bottoms G and thosedevices to the right of said wall W are best oper'- ated at a lower room temperature to cause` the hardening of the chocolate of said product P. The end E of the conveyor 40 passes through the wall W as shown in Figs. 12 and 13.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an apparatus in which the several objects of the invention are achieved and which is Well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various other possible embochments of the invention might be made of the above invention, and as various changes in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the specication is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an apparatus for making a confection of the character described, a multi-cavity mold, a flat unperforated plate having one side thereof serving as a cover for all the cavities of said mold, aligning means for removably securing the plate on the mold with the other side of the plate facing the mold, and flexible sheet material loosely fitted on a side of the plate facing the mold.

2. In a confection making apparatus, a multicavity mold, each cavity adapted to carry a coating layer for forming a shell, and means having a flexible surfaced material mounted on said mold adapted to carry a closure product for said shell, said material having sufficient degree of flexure to permit the successive portion thereof on application of pressure to closely Contact With the mold.

3. In a confection making apparatus, a conveyor, a mold adapted to form shells carried on said conveyor, a support mounted on said mold adapted to have deposited thereon a closure product in plastic state for sealing said shells, and means interposed in the path of movement of said mold and support on the conveyor for vibrating the support to spread said product.

4. In a confection making apparatus, a mold adapted to form shells, fiexible surfaced material mounted on said mold adapted to have deposited on the material a closure product in plastic state, and pressure means for clamping successive portions of said material to said mold for sealing said shells by said closure product.

5. In a confection making apparatus, a mold a-dapted to form shells, flexible surfaced material mounted on said mold adapted to have deposited thereon a closure product in plastic state for sealing said shells, a conveyor for moving said mold and material, a pressure roller co-acting with said conveyor positioned in the path of movement of said mold and material on the conveyor, said material having sufficient degree of flexure that on clamping of successive portions of said material to said mold the shells are sealed by the closure product.

6. In a confection making apparatus, a mold, means for moving the mold intermittently to a plurality of stations for successively filling with various materials to form a confection product, and a closure material receiving means demountably carried by said mold.

'7. In a confection making apparatus, a mold having a cavity, means for moving the mold to a plurality of spaced stations for successively filling the cavity with various materials to form a confection product, a closure material receiving means demountably carried by the mold over said cavity, and means to align said closure receiving means with the mold cavity so constructed and arranged that closure material may be in register with the mold cavity.

8. The confection making apparatus defined in claim 7 in which means are provided to apply the closure material registered with the mold cavity to seal the confection product.

9. In a confection making apparatus, the combination of molds, a plurality of spaced stations for lling the molds with various materials to form confection products, means to move said molds successively to said lling stations, a closure material supply station positioned to cooperate with said filling stations, and means removably carried by each mold for receiving closing material from said supply station, said closure material carrying means being applied to the mold prior to the movement thereto to said supply station.

10. In a confection making apparatus, the combination of molds having cavities, a plurality of spaced stations for lling the mold cavities With various materials to form confection products, means to move the molds successively for aligning the cavities with said spaced stations, a closure material supply station positioned to cooperate with the movement of the molds with respect to said filling stations, and means removably carried by a mold in register with the cavities thereof for receiving closure material from said supply station, said removable means being so constructed and arranged to permit the dismounting and turning thereof for positioning the closure material in registered aligning with each of the mold cavities.

11. The confection making apparatus deiined in claim 10 in which pressure means for successively forcing the closure material registered with the mold cavity to seal the confection product are provided spaced from said supply means.

12. In an apparatus for making a confection of the character described, the combination of a A mold tted with a single detachable at plate to serve as a cover when applied with one side of the plate facing the mold, spaced coupling means having portions extending up from opposite sides of the plate for registering and retaining the plate in an aligned position when used as a cover and when reversed with the flat side opposite the first mentioned flat side of said plate facing the mold as and for the purpose described and specified.

13. In an apparatus for making a confection of the character described, the combination of a mold fitted with a single demountable plate to serve as a cover when applied with one side of said plate facing the mold, means for retaining the plate in an aligned position with the other side of said plate facing the mold, and a sheet of flexible material removably interposed between the mold and the side of the plate adapted to serve as a cover when in contact with the mold.

14. In a confection making apparatus, a flat support adapted to co-operate with a multi-cavity mold, said support being so constructed and arranged to retain closure material deposits in plastic state for shells formed in said mold, and means to vibrate said support for spreading said deposits into enlarged flattened shaped closures of predetermined size as and for the purpose described and specified.

l5. In a. confection making apparatus the combination of a at plate, sheet material removably positioned to extend over one side of said plate, said material adapted to carry a chocolate product, and means for vibrating said plate and material so constructed and arranged to cause said product to force spread when deposited in plastic state on said material.

HENRY E. BIANCHI. 

